Chapter 727: Temptation and Breakthrough
Celestial Thearch Myriad Star didn’t dare show any disrespect to Black Fiend Progenitor.
Black Fiend Progenitor was a famous Eighth Tribulation Eminence in the River of Spacetime. He had refined two legacy treasures—Black Fiend Hall and Nightmare Hall. To a Seventh Tribulation Eminence, these two treasures were comparable to Eternal treasures. Just by looking at the treasures he refined, one could tell how unfathomable Black Fiend Progenitor was.
The Black Fiend Hall faction had wreaked havoc in the River of Spacetime for many years; the other Eighth Tribulation Eminences could only endure it.
On the one hand, Dragon Ancestor felt that an appropriate threat was beneficial to the growth of Tribulation Eminences. He only restrained them and didn’t completely destroy Black Fiend Hall. On the other hand, Black Fiend Progenitor was too powerful. He, Eternal Tower’s owner, Fiend Mountain’s owner, Phoenix Ancestor, and a few others had already progressed greatly in the Eighth Tribulation realm. They could be considered top Eighth Tribulation Eminences.
At this point, it was impossible for Dragon Ancestor to destroy Black Fiend Progenitor in a one-on-one battle. To destroy a top Eighth Tribulation Eminence… Dragon Ancestor needed to call on his friends and pay a huge price. Even so, he might not succeed.
Therefore, people like Black Fiend Progenitor and Fiend Mountain’s owner had the right to be willful. As long as it wasn’t something akin to flipping a table, the other Eighth Tribulation Eminences would try their best to tolerate it.
“You woke me up again?” Black Fiend Progenitor’s eyes seemed to contain billions of worlds.
Celestial Thearch Myriad Star didn’t dare to meet his gaze as he said respectfully, “Black Fiend Progenitor, I’ve prepared enough treasures.”
Black Fiend Progenitor looked at him.
“Progenitor, please take a look.” Celestial Thearch Myriad Star respectfully offered a pagoda that contained the countless treasures he had prepared.
Black Fiend Progenitor waved his hand, and the pagoda landed in his hand. He revealed a smile, one that affected the surrounding spacetime.
Even though Celestial Thearch Myriad Star had his head lowered, he couldn’t help but feel delighted. However, he felt even more afraid. The last time I looked him in the eye, my body distorted and transformed into a nightmare creature. This time, I don’t even dare to look at him, yet he can still affect my mind?
It wasn’t that he had never seen an Eighth Tribulation Eminence before. He had interacted with several Eighth Tribulation Eminences, and he could talk and laugh freely with the other Eighth Tribulation Eminences. He wasn’t affected when looking at them directly. After all, he was a half-step Eighth Tribulation Eminence who had grasped the temporal law and the spatial law.
Only Black Fiend Progenitor was an exception! The pressure he exerted on him was too great! However, the benefits that Black Fiend Progenitor could give him were also the greatest.
“Very good.” Black Fiend Progenitor inspected the treasures in the pagoda and nodded in satisfaction. “It’s worth about three billion cubes.”
It was just like how Fiend Mountain’s owner had left behind a method to summon him: Gather 1,000 Sixth Tribulation forbidden creature Life Cores or 10 Seventh Tribulation forbidden creature Life Cores and one could seek an audience with Fiend Mountain’s owner.
Black Fiend Progenitor had left behind a similar method, but he had higher requirements. Three billion cubes was the sacrificial threshold if one wanted to meet him. If one disturbed him without gathering enough treasures, they would be courting death.
Black Fiend Hall had been plundering the entire River of Spacetime for a long time. The lower-ranking members could split the benefits. The current Black Fiend Hall Master and Hall Master Nightmare could also split the benefits. They split the benefits layer by layer, but every time, a portion of them would ultimately be paid to Black Fiend Hall’s treasure vault. Black Fiend Progenitor would wake up after a long interval to harvest Black Fiend Hall’s treasures.
“Tell me, what do you want in exchange?” Black Fiend Progenitor stood there as an illusory book appeared.
Celestial Thearch Myriad Star had read this book last time.
Most of the recordings in the book were formulations, mystic techniques, and other knowledge. This was because knowledge didn’t cost much to Black Fiend Progenitor. Very few of them were rare treasures, and the true value of these treasures was far lower than three billion cubes.
They might only be worth a few hundred million cubes, but they were things Celestial Thearch Myriad Star had no way of coming into contact with.
“I want the second volume of the Eternal formulation, Bloodline.” Celestial Thearch Myriad Star didn’t hesitate at all. He had long wanted this volume.
Black Fiend Progenitor tapped gently, and a black beam flew into Celestial Thearch Myriad Star’s glabella.
The knowledge was transmitted.
Black Fiend Progenitor was most willing to peddle knowledge. These were things that he had already grasped, which was why he could impart them personally. There was no price to pay, and it could be said to be a zero capital sale. Ordinary Eighth Tribulation Eminences might not be able to learn a complete Eternal legacy. Even if they learned it, they wouldn’t be able to impart it unless they completely grasped it.
“You still have one billion cubes available for exchange. What else do you want?” asked Black Fiend Progenitor.
Celestial Thearch Myriad Star sensed the vast contents of the Bloodline Art’s second volume. Some of the questions he had regarding the first volume were answered in the second volume.
Celestial Thearch Myriad Star suppressed his desire to study the newfound knowledge and immediately said, “Black Fiend Progenitor, the situation is unfavorable for me in this era. An Eighth Tribulation Eminence might want to deal with me. Progenitor, can you teach me how to stay alive?”
“I won’t participate in your conflict,” said Black Fiend Progenitor indifferently. “As for preserving your life, I’ll help you if necessary.”
Celestial Thearch Myriad Star was somewhat disappointed. During the first sacrifice, Black Fiend Progenitor hoped that this ‘tool’ that collected treasures for him would live longer. Thus, he had already imparted many means to him.
However, Celestial Thearch Myriad Star still felt somewhat uneasy after Realm Ancestor exposed him. After all, no matter how invincible he was in the current era… he would still be flustered if an Eighth Tribulation Eminence were to take action.
“Do you want to exchange for that using the remaining one billion cubes?” Black Fiend Progenitor asked again.
“I’ll save it for now; I’ll exchange again next time.” Celestial Thearch Myriad Star had the willpower to do so. His goal was to exchange for the nine volumes of the Eternal formulation, Bloodline. It was said that these nine volumes explained all the secrets of a bloodline.
For example, he had learned a portion of the secrets behind how forbidden creatures became powerful from devouring in the first volume. As a result, his strength had increased significantly.
Black Fiend Progenitor rather liked Celestial Thearch Myriad Star, who only exchanged for formulations—he was a good ‘tool.’ Hence, he immediately said, “You have made two sacrifices. I have a treasure up for exchange, which I can make an exception for you. I once killed a Chaos overlord who controlled blood and obtained a drop of Origins Blood. As long as you consume this drop of Origins Blood, it can transform your body and nearly raise it to the Eighth Tribulation realm. You have already grasped the laws of time and space. Your consciousness won’t be warped, so you will be able to control such a body.”
“A body close to the Eighth Tribulation realm?” Celestial Thearch Myriad Star’s eyes lit up.
“With this, your strength will increase greatly, and you will be able to deal with danger,” said Black Fiend Progenitor. “Furthermore, you can use it as your foundation to create a body formulation that perfectly suits you. Your chances of reaching the Eighth Tribulation realm will also increase.”
It sounded nice.
In fact, this was a shortcut. He was allowing the overlord’s Origins Blood to distort himself and make himself become closer to a Chaos overlord. His body could indeed reach the Eighth Tribulation realm, but to create a physical body formulation with this? The probability was still very low.
If he only had a one percent chance of success prior to using the Chaos overlord’s drop of Origins Blood, then he only had a two to three percent chance of creating a physical body formulation after.
Black Fiend Progenitor did this mainly because he hoped that this ‘tool’ could live longer. Many things weren’t suitable for Eighth Tribulation Eminences to do, but cultivators of these eras were suitable to do them.
“How much will I need to exchange for it?” Celestial Thearch Myriad Star’s heart burned with fervor as he asked immediately. He wasn’t willing to give up the chance to experience a body that was close to the Eighth Tribulation realm.
“Five billion cubes,” said Black Fiend Progenitor.
Celestial Thearch Myriad Star secretly felt his head ache—this was a number that made his heart palpitate. He had cultivated for so many years, but other than his own expenditure, he had only sacrificed twice after devouring so many middle-level worlds. Including the one billion cubes he had saved this time… he still needed four billion cubes.
A total of ten billion cubes for all three times!
“After obtaining this Origins Blood, you will be much stronger than you are now. Your chances of reaching the Eighth Tribulation realm will also be higher,” said Black Fiend Progenitor leisurely. He could tell that Celestial Thearch Myriad Star was feeling uneasy. After all, this was the first time he had attacked a young middle-level world, and he had been exposed.
Black Fiend Progenitor didn’t wish for Celestial Thearch Myriad Star to restrain himself. He hoped that Celestial Thearch Myriad Star would be even greedier and crazier… As for Celestial Thearch Myriad Star’s outcome, he didn’t care.
What he cared about was whether the treasures would ultimately be sacrificed to him.
It couldn’t be helped! Even as an Eighth Tribulation Eminence, he was very concerned about treasures.
Even someone as powerful as Dragon Ancestor had to think of ways to collect treasures in his home universe and the endless spacetime. He was publicly acknowledged to be the richest person in this universe. Even when viewed from other universes, his wealth made other Eighth Tribulation Eminences extremely envious.
It was very difficult for other Eighth Tribulation Eminences to extend their influences to other universes. They would be boycotted by the other native Eighth Tribulation Eminences in that particular universe. Only someone as powerful as Dragon Ancestor could forcefully infiltrate other universes despite their resistance.
For example, Fiend Mountain’s owner had worked hard to set up the Chaos Turbid River to constantly lure Seventh Tribulation forbidden creatures in. He would wake up periodically to harvest them.
Eternal Tower and Black Fiend Hall had transactions all over the River of Spacetime. One earned a transaction fee with every transaction, while the other plundered the River of Spacetime. They had different ways of earning treasures.
Only with enough treasures could one go further on the path of cultivation.
Everyone knew that the treasures of middle-level and high-level worlds were the greatest. They were also the greatest treasure troves in the entire universe! However, the inhabited worlds were a soft spot for many in the universe.
Countless lives were born in the inhabited worlds, and the universe did its best to protect every inhabited world. Eighth Tribulation Eminences were born in this universe; everything that promoted their growth originated from this universe, so they owed their universe great karma.
Their actions might be righteous or evil, but they couldn’t shake this universe’s foundation. If they hit a soft spot of their universe, they would be abandoned by their home universe while staying indebted to it. Karma would plague them, and they would be in big trouble.
However, it was different for those below the Eighth Tribulation realm.
Those below the Eighth Tribulation realm didn’t jump out of the River of Spacetime, so they were a part of the River of Spacetime. No matter how they fought and plundered, they were still a part of the River of Spacetime.
Black Fiend Progenitor was currently baiting Celestial Thearch Myriad Star. Of course, he was just a casual chess piece of Black Fiend Progenitor. Although traveling through endless spacetime was difficult and earning treasures wasn’t easy, what Celestial Thearch Myriad Star had sacrificed… was nothing significant to Black Fiend Progenitor. He only offered a drop of Origins Blood to attract Celestial Thearch Myriad Star.
After the transaction ended, Black Fiend Progenitor’s figure dissipated.
Celestial Thearch Myriad Star stood there and pondered for a long time.
…
In the following days, the River of Spacetime remained peaceful and calm. Celestial Thearch Myriad Star didn’t immediately destroy inhabited worlds, nor did an Eighth Tribulation Eminence descend to deal with him. However, all the factions could sense the turbulent undercurrents beneath the calm.
In a wooden hut on the distant Dry Origin Mountain.
Meng Chuan was painting. He was usually the only one awake on Dry Origin Mountain, and he was also very lonely. He could only focus on cultivation and combat.
After grasping the six-stroke mystic technique, painting was a form of cultivation for him.
The painting in front of him was painted with black light. The ink gathered into terrifying black light.
Rumble~
This black beam of light seemed to slice through everything. The terrifying fluctuations could affect the outside world, but it was completely restrained in the wooden hut.
Meng Chuan revealed a smile. I’ve been here for more than 2,000 years. Today, I’ve finally comprehended the Heaven Splitting law.
He had cultivated for 2,000 years at Dry Origin Mountain, but only 68 years had passed in his home universe. After all, the time flow difference between the two places was very great.
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